Space.com
• Mike Wall
After more than a decade of development and 13 flight tests, SpaceX is preparing Starship’s first attempted orbital mission on September 28. The flight would also deploy Starlink V3 satellites into an operational orbit, testing the vehicle’s readiness for sustained launch and space-transport operations.
Commercial Space
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SpaceX is targeting Sept. 28 for the first orbital launch attempt of its 124-meter (407-foot) Starship-Super Heavy rocket, carrying the first Starlink V3 satellites. The milestone comes 18 years after SpaceX’s Falcon 1 reached orbit for the first time.
High activity
After more than a decade of development and 13 flight tests, SpaceX is preparing Starship’s first attempted orbital mission on September 28. The flight would also deploy Starlink V3 satellites into an operational orbit, testing the vehicle’s readiness for sustained launch and space-transport operations.
The European Union commissioner responsible for space is taking a more active role in launch policy, urging European companies to increase launch activity. The push signals greater EU attention to launch cadence and the continent’s ability to sustain independent access to space.
Rocket Lab launched another Electron mission for Japanese radar-imaging company Synspective on Sept. 25, deploying the 13th satellite in the company’s constellation. The flight extends a sustained launch relationship supporting Synspective’s expansion of space-based Earth observation capabilities.
High activity
SpaceX is preparing to launch Starship Flight 14 on Sept. 28 in the vehicle’s first attempt to reach orbit. The mission would mark a major transition from previous suborbital testing, while the company also conducts a classified U.S. Space Force launch from California earlier in the week.
High activity
Starship’s first intended orbital mission, Flight 14, is awaiting regulatory approval while a near-term manifest indicates the next two flights could follow in close succession. The sequence would provide an early view of the program’s planned operational tempo and development cadence.
Finnish synthetic aperture radar satellite operator Iceye is establishing a technology center and new Polish headquarters in Warsaw. The company plans to invest $31 million in Poland, expanding its operational and technology presence in the country.
Deutsche Telekom, Liberty Mobile, Orange, Telefónica and Vodafone see promise in satellite direct-to-device services but acknowledge that the market’s scale and profitability remain unclear. Their assessment highlights the commercial uncertainty facing operators and satellite partners pursuing connectivity that reaches standard mobile devices from orbit.
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